Sky could lose Disney and Discovery because of Brexit

Sky customers could lose out on channels from Disney and Discovery because of Brexit, Sky has warned. The broadcaster would require both companies to set up new licences in order to offer their channels to Sky.

Sky has set a deadline of the end of the year for both to notify it of their plans. This is because Sky needs to know the licensing plans of its partner channels, so it can comply with European broadcasting regulations in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The UK is due to leave the European Union in March 2019.

Sky sent a letter to its channel partners setting out the deadline. It’s likely its broadcast rivals like Virgin Media and BT will have to send similar letters to their channel partners.

A Sky spokesperson told The Guardian: “We continually work with our partner channels to ensure they have the licenses they need to broadcast.”

US media companies generally use the UK as their European base. This means that with one British broadcasting licence, they can transmit their channels across the whole of Europe.

If the UK government fails to sign a deal with the EU, these companies would have to relocate to other EU countries, and many channels that Sky offers would need two licences to broadcast in both the UK and EU.

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